US Data: Highlights of Market Survey of Economic Forecasts

     The following are highlights of forecasts for upcoming U.S. economic

indicators provided by Bloomberg forecasts. The comment section presents the key

elements behind the median forecasts.

     Initial Jobless Claims (thousands)

 Thursday, February 13 at 8:30 a.m. EST                        

                                                           Actual:

                   Median:                           Feb08  Feb01 Jan25      

Claims:              210k                               --   202k  216k    

Comments: Jobless claims for the week ending February 8 are expected to come in

at 210,000, close to the 211,750 four-week moving average identified by the

Department of Labor in its most recent jobless claims report.

     Consumer Price Index for December(percent change)

 Thursday, February 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET                     Actual:

                   Median:                           Jan20  Dec19  Nov19  

CPI                 +0.2%                               --  +0.2%  +0.3%  

CPI Core            +0.2%                               --  +0.1%  +0.2%  

Comments: U.S. consumer inflation likely held steady in January, with

preliminary estimates calling for a 0.2% increase, mirroring December's

weaker-than-expected pace. Gasoline prices fell in January, which should hold

down m/m headline inflation growth. Core inflation is also expected to rise 0.2%

for a fourth straight month in January. The three-month annualized rate of core

inflation rose to 2.5% in December, the highest since March.

     Retail Sales (percent change)

 Friday, February 14 at 8:30 a.m. ET                      Actual:               

                  Median:                           Jan20  Dec19  Nov19  

Retail Sales       +0.3%                               --  +0.3%  +0.2%  

Retail ex mv       +0.3%                               --  +0.7%  +0.1%  

Retail ex mv+gas   +0.3%                               --  +0.5%   flat  

     Comments: U.S. retail sales should rise 0.3% in December, the same rate of

increase as December. Excluding motor vehicle sales, retail sales are expected

to rise 0.3% after a 0.7% hike in December. in November. A surprisingly strong

January jobs report and a slight acceleration in wage gains and steady consumer

confidence should support another positive month for retailers.

     Import/Export Prices for January(percent change)

 Friday, February 14 at 8:30 a.m. ET                         Actual:

                    Median:                          Jan20  Dec19   Nov19    

Import Price Index   -0.2%                              --  +0.3%   +0.2%  

Export Price Index   -0.1%                              --  -0.2%   +0.2%  

Comments: The import price index is expected to decrease -0.2% while the export

price index is expected to fall by -0.1%.

     Industrial Production for January(percent change)

 Friday, February 14 at 9:15 a.m. ET                            

                                                              Actual:        

                          Median:                       Jan20  Dec19  Nov19  

Industrial Production      -0.2%                           --  -0.3%  +0.8%  

Capacity Utilization       76.8%                           --  77.0%  77.4%  

Comments: Industrial production for January is expected to decline for the

second straight month, dropping -0.2%, while capacity utilization remains nearly

flat at 76.8%.

     University of Michigan Survey for February(preliminary)

 Friday, February 14 at 10:00 a.m. ET                            Actual:

                          Median:                       Feb20(p)  Jan20  Dec19  

Consumer Sent               99.4                           --      96.8   99.3  

Comments: The Michigan Sentiment index is expected to reach 99.4, a +2.6 point

increase from January's 96.8 reading.

     Business Inventories for December(percent change)

 Friday, February 14 at 10:00 a.m. ET                             Actual:

                 Median:                                  Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  

Inventories       +0.1%                                      --  -0.2%  +0.2%  

Comments: Business inventories for November are expected to increase by +0.1%.

--MNI Washington Bureau; +1 202 371 2121; email: ryan.hauser@marketnews.com

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